Lydia + Zare : The Wedding Weekend | One & Only Desaru Johor
One of our most memorable destination weddings to date – Lydia and Zare’s intimate wedding weekend at the luxury resort One&Only just off the coast of Desaru Johor!
A fun-filled celebration trip for the couple and their closest loved ones, our team pulled out all the stops to ensure that this wedding escape was all that they’ve ever dreamed of and more! With multiple COVID postponements, we quickly formed a friendship with the pair after working closely with them for over a year (especially with our lovely bride Lydia!). Bringing her much-loved “minimalist rustic white” vision to life, we styled all 3 occasions – the ceremony, the dinner reception, and the after-party.
THE VILLA
Villa One was our blank canvas. Housing all 3 occasions under one roof, we were delighted to have ample space to play around! Our team put in much thought for the design layout, strategically placing decor fixtures around the corridors and lounges to create a seamless flow for the ultimate guest experience. From the welcome signage planted at the entrance door, to the dessert bar and bubble tea cart along the corridors, to the standing display of couple portraits inked on flowy fabric cloths; surprises awaited the guests at every turn as they were “unknowingly” guided around the villa grounds with this intentional styling.
THE CEREMONY
Journeying to the back of the villa, beyond the 27m plunge pool, is a lush green field overlooking the ocean horizon. We laid arc structures and transparent chiavari chairs in a circle, right at the heart of this boundless backyard garden. The feature highlight of this ceremony design was none other than the unconventional arc structures lined with flowy sheer fabric that danced gracefully in the sea breeze; a dreamy sight that became the backdrop of the couple’s heart-touching “I Do’s”. Dried foliage and fresh blooms in white decorated the aisle and standing floral arches. The handcrafted rattan fans were a nice added touch to comfort guests in the hot weather.
A little backstory to this seemingly perfect ceremony:
The morning of the wedding was greeted with a downpour that lasted for hours on end. On top of having to dis-assemble all our hard work that we’ve set in place from the night before, the team had to also constantly change our game plan as we went along, with no clue when the rain would stop. The shower lasted well into the afternoon, and we scurried to re-assemble everything once again within a very limited timeframe. Safe to say that we were just super relieved when the sun came out, and extremely proud of our little team for pulling all that off!
THE RECEPTION
Dining under the stars never looked better. Glistening fairy lights covered the roof of an all-white marquee tent, bundles of baby’s breaths topped the tablescape with romantic candlelight flickering throughout the night, a full-course fine dining experience that we were glad to have played a part in creating! Lydia insisted on writing each individual guest place card by herself, along with scented soap favors that she personally picked out; they were gifts of appreciation to thank her friends and family for traveling all the way.
THE AFTER-PARTY
While guests dined, we proceeded to work on the after-party at the villa’s BBQ lawn. Reusing bits and pieces from earlier in the day, we created a simple lounge setup with beanbags, block candles and fairy lights for a chill relaxing vibe. The couple and their guests wound down that night with live music, karaoke, drinks and light bites. The perfect end to an unforgettable weekend weekend!
